We take great pride in our kayaks and equipment...we use the finest the industry has to offer and we update our fleet annually. Our fleet is made up of a mix of double sea-kayaks and single sea-kayaks, and we strive to allow all members to try a single at some point during the expedition. Thus it is impossible for us to "book" a specific kayak for you, but we will alter the mix of our fleet if we know before-hand if you prefer to paddle in a double for the majority of the expedition.

In regards to how much equipment you will personally need to bring, please follow the included information sheet. As stated, the kayaks do hold a "healthy"amount of equipment but please be practical. Pillows and thick foam mattresses are over-doing it! As well as your own equipment, we've got all the group equipment plus food and water for the duration of the trip to contend with.

Be Prepared to Spend a Week in the Woods. Although we attempt to emphasise comfort every step of the way, our expeditions are an outdoor camping experience ranging from 3-6 days. You must be prepared to sleep in a tent, wash in sea-water (although some of our camps are near freshwater streams) and "toilet in the wilderness". Although the days can be quite warm, the evenings can cool down to the mid-fifties (10°C) and the possibility of some wind and rain should be considered.

Hint: We plan our expeditions to coincide with the best times of the year for good weather on the West Coast, but rain is always a possibility. Laughing in the face of wind and rain if one is soaked to the skin can be pretty tough. Please ensure that your rainwear is adequate for our climate. If you are coming from a warmer climate like Arizona, you'll find that what works well there may not be adequate for here. A simple test (and one that you may feel silly performing) is to put on your rainwear and stand in the shower for a minute or so. You'll find that the nylon windbreaker that you may have thought would do the job is inadequate.

Hint: If you are prone to blisters, we find that a great remedy is to apply saddle-soap (yup, the exact stuff they use on leather) to the skin between the thumb and index finger (or any other part on your hand that you feel may be prone when paddling) daily for a couple of weeks prior to the expedition. We should add though, that most people have no problem whatsoever with blisters when paddling, and taping or gloves also work just fine.

Suggestion: If you are susceptible to infections (ie. urinary, ear, eye, etc.), we strongly recommend that you ask your physician to prescribe you the antibiotics you regularly use and bring them along with you. There is nothing worse than having to be evacuated out and ruining your trip when something so simple as a course of antibiotics could have "saved the day".

We hope that we've answered a lot of your questions already with info.sheets such as this and the "Frequently Asked Questions" page but if there is anything that you feel unsure about, please call us and we'll try give you a straight answer.

1560 Brebber Road
Nanaimo, BC
V9X 1P4
Ph: (250) 722-3683
Fax: (250) 722-2175
E-Mail: info@kayakbc.com

TOLL FREE 1-877-722-3683